94% of adults in Ireland have shopped online and Brexit may have a direct negative impact on Irish consumers buying from UK websites.

iReach Insights Press Release

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4th September 2019

94% of adults in Ireland have shopped online and Brexit may have a direct negative impact on Irish consumers buying from UK websites.

60% believe e-commerce is the future of shopping

18-34 year olds (59%) more likely to spend more because of e-commerce websites than those 35-54 (35%) or 55+ (25%)

Irish adults are 10% more likely to compare online prices when shopping online (83%) than when shopping in-store (73%)

77% of adults in Ireland use online reviews to help them make purchasing decisions.

Half (51%) of Irish consumers are likely to browse in-store, then purchase online

As Brexit is looming, the CCPC (Consumer and Competition Protection Commision) has warned that Brexit could have an impact on online shopping from UK websites and taxes could be imposed on items bought as well as consumers rights may be subject to change. With this in mind, iReach Insights conducted a nationally representative survey of 1,001 Irish adults on how consumers make decisions across purchasing channels in a new e-commerce era.

94% of Irish adults have shopped online, with the average consumer purchasing online once a month. Males (12%) and females (11%) are equally likely to shop more than once a month, as are those 18-34 (13%) compared to those 35-54 (13%). Consumers 55+ are the least likely to shop more than once a month, at only 7%.

The main appeals of online shopping are: 1. Ease of Purchase (63%), 2. Convenience of Staying Home (58%), and 3. Better Deals (58%). 3 in 5 adults (61%) are interested in using e-commerce websites, while 60% think e-commerce is the future of shopping.

76% are likely to look at online reviews before making an online purchase, compared to the 62% that are likely to look at online reviews before making an in-store purchase. 83% are likely to compare prices online before purchasing online compared to 73% who compare online prices before purchasing in store. Those aged 55 and over are less likely (65%) to use online price comparison tools for in-store purchases.

77% use online reviews to help them make a purchasing decision. Half (51%) are likely to browse in-store and then purchase online. 59% of adults aged 18-34 say that the accessibility of e-commerce has led them to spend more than they would have if they were limited to traditional brick-and-mortar stores, compared to 35% of 35-54 year olds and 25% of those over the age of 55+. Overall, 4 in 5 adults (80%) are satisfied with the purchases they make online.

About iReach Insights

iReach Insights provides a range of research and market intelligence services in Ireland and Europe. iReach has built a Consumer Decisions Research Panel of 40,000 members in Ireland, delivering robust research insights. The survey questions were included in the Nationally Representative iReach Consumer Decisions Omnibus run between the 4th-11th July and has a 3% Confidence Interval and 95% Confidence Level.

Questions asked of participants:

Have you ever shopped online?

How frequently do you make online purchases?

Please state how likely you would be to take the following actions.

What do you think are the main appeals of online shopping?

Please state how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements.

iReach Insights Limited – Temple Hall, Temple Road, Blackrock, CO. Dublin, IRELAND.

iReach Managing Director: Oisin Byrne
T: 01-214 3740 or email: PR@ireachhq.com